South Korea

South Korea’s new pro-IP administration continues to transform the country into a global hub for resolving patent disputes. The Patent Court of Korea conducted its first-ever patent litigation in English in July 2017. Following that, the Korean Assembly passed a bill in November to establish an international chamber within the Korean district courts and enable the Patent Court to continue holding IP trials in English. Judges are also becoming more receptive to the use of expert testimonies in patent litigations, especially when provided by foreign experts. For our Korean coverage this year, we have added a Korea: Foreign section to reflect the key players representing Korean entities before US courts and the US International Trade Commission.